News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

Vulnerable young adults wept in disbelief last week when they were told that the shutters will soon come down on their beloved training center.

The Bridge Association in Enkalon Industrial Estate has been providing a vital lifeline for people with special needs - and respite for their families - for almost a quarter of a century, but troubled financial waters now threaten to bring it all crashing down.

The Northern Trust has been accused of bringing the crisis to a head when without fanfare it slashed funding to the unit, which serves more than 20 families, by around $13,000 a month.
(Source: Antrim Guardian)
Armagh

One of Northern Ireland's largest pig farmers has been fined £187,000 in the region's first successful prosecution for corporate manslaughter.

Robert Wilson, 45, was working at a meal mixing plant on the farm in Co Armagh when he was killed after a metal bin fell off a forklift truck and crushed him.

The bin had not been attached to the forklift properly.
(Source: Evening Herald)
Carlow

It has been confirmed that work on the Penneys site in the center of Carlow town will not start this year.
Despite promises that work on the highly-anticipated project would begin in the first quarter of 2012, it has now emerged that the site will not be developed until 2013.

It is understood that developer Eamon Duignan’s assets are under the control of the National Assets Management Agency.

When contacted, however, Mr Duignan would not be drawn on the matter but did confirm that work would begin on the Penneys site in 2013.

“The planning delays had a bigger impact than envisaged,” he told The Nationalist.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)
Cavan

As a national Garda campaign is rolled out this weekend with a view to supporting safer communities, the Cavan District Superintendent warned the public to be wary of con artists, purporting to sell laptops and other items. According to Supt Jimmy Coen, people in the Cavan area have been conned out of large sums of cash and are left holding packages of milk cartons or bags of flour.

In this con people are approached in public areas, such as business forecourts and pressurised into purchasing a wide variety of items. Typically items include jewellery, cigarettes, mobile phones and laptops.
(Source: The Anglo Celt)
Clare

After eight years, Shannon Airport will no longer be under the control of the Dublin Airport Authority as it is to be combined with Shannon Development to form a new entity.

Government Ministers Leo Varadkar and Richard Bruton announced the creation of the new entity last Wednesday, which will have a commercial mandate and be publicly owned. Shannon Development will lose some of its key functions under the move.

The new entity will have no net debt (Shannon Airport had been carrying a debt of approximately €100 million) but it will lose Aer Rianta International, which was developed in Shannon and is hugely lucrative.

The Minister’s statement said the entity, “will have a clear mandate, working closely with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to develop the potential of the aviation sector and will explore other opportunities with those agencies for further prospective investments in the region”.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

A man is being treated in hospital after being stabbed a number of times, gardai said.

The attack happened at Parkview, Wellington Road in Cork city.

The 35-year-old victim received a number of wounds during the incident.

Paramedics called to the scene rushed the man to Cork University Hospital where he is undergoing medical treatment.

It is understood his injuries are not life-threatening.
Source: (Evening Herald)
Derry

A judge has refused to return four people for trial accused of managing an illegal demonstration at Derry City Cemetery.

Derry Magistrates Court heard that preliminary enquiry papers were not ready and had not been served on the defendants.

It was also revealed that Price is unfit to travel to court or to appear via videolink.
(Source: Derry Journal)

Donegal

A Crolly man said he owes his life to a quick-thinking passer-by and the Gaoth Dobhair fire service.

John Barrow did not know anything was wrong, until he was wakened early last Friday by Gerry Gallagher of the Gaoth Dobhair fire service.

“Someone was hammering on my window, saying to get up and get out,” John recalled. His house at Killindaragh, Crolly, on the N56, was filled with smoke; an approaching bog fire was within a few feet of his house. It was about 6.40 am.